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Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs

Industrial Minerals Associations' Global Innovative Network

Objectives of the commitment

The Industrial Minerals Associations in Europe (IMA-Europe) and in North America (IMA NA) join forces to initiate the creation of an international platform on industrial minerals to facilitate dialogue between the relevant global stakeholders in parallel with the creation of a network of IM focal points in the Asia-Pacific region - with the support of the global industrial minerals companies partnering up under this initiative.
The objectives can be defined as follows:
1. Facilitate international dialogue on Raw Materials Policy, in particular between Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region in view of improving the framework conditions for Industrial Minerals supply and creating a fair level playing field for the Industrial minerals sector and its downstream industries.
2. Address global regulatory aspects through a strong network of industrial minerals producers represented by IMA-Europe and IMA-North America, and a network of focal points in the Asia-Pacific region (to be created with the help of the partnering European and North-American based companies with operations worldwide);
3. Share and promote good practices in the Industial minerals Sector (health and safety, environment, etc.)
4. Raise the profile of the sector worldwide and gain public acceptance of mining and production operations (e.g. internationalising the European Minerals Day initiative).

Description of the activities

The following activities are being envisaged to deliver on the objectives:
1. The organisation of multi-stakeholder international events, joint workshops, meetings, webinars in Europe, North America and in the Asia-Pacific region.
2. Based on a first explanatory meeting to be held on 24 September 2014 in Brussels between IMA-Europe, IMA North America and IM representatives from the Asia PAcific region, it is envisaged creating a network with the relevant stakeholders and experts thanks to IM focal points throughout the Asia Pacific region. Two international conferences on industrial minerals are planned: the first one likely in 2016, and a major 'closing' conference in 2020 - of which at least one in the Asia Pacific region. In between several smaller events (meetings, workshops) & activities may take place of which the frequency and format will need to be defined;
3. The activities will include setting out a joint strategy for facilitating dialogue and the exchange and promotion of best practices on health, safety and the environment.
4. The coordination and liaison with the partnering companies and organisations.
5. The publication of relevant promotional and supporting material / dissemination of the information

Description of the expected impacts

Trigger positive environmental and social impacts in the industrial minerals sector on a worldwide scale, by further improving environmental conditions in the Industrial minerals sector in the long term, as well as mitigating negative social impacts due to the perception of environment, health and safety in mining sites and the industrial minerals value chain.
Promotion and exchange of best practices in accident prevention and health, safety and environmental management; promotion of innovative solutions, facilitating dialogue for growth and partnerships with key Industrial minerals sector stakeholders
Active involvement by leading European and North American industrial minerals producers, EU and North American policy makers, trade associations, end-user organisations, downstream industry associations, related NGOs, civil society organisations, unions, academia,...

Coordinating organisation & role

Name of the coordinating organisation: IMA-Europe (Industrial Minerals Association-Europe)Country: EuropeEntity profile: OtherRole within the commitment:

Lead coordinator, co-organiser, facilitator, European liaison office

Other partners

Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V.

Name of the organisation: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Angewandten Forschung e.V. Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Fraunhofer will lead the CFRP and GFRP recycling research.
Fraunhofer will perform corrosion tests on the developed materials.
Fraunhofer will work with CIDAUT on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project. Fraunhofer is the Quality Manager of the Consortium and will oversee deliverables and general reporting are produced with the best possible quality following agreed review standards.

Fundacion Cidaut

Name of the organisation: Fundacion Cidaut Country: Spain Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: CIDAUT will lead the research activities on materials recycling and compounding, implementing lab scale demonstrators of each process at its premises and, later, supporting end-users upscale the processes.
CIDAUT will perform mechanical tests, microstructural analyses, injection moulding capability studies on the developed materails, and will work with Fraunhofer on the implementation, validation and refinement of LCCA tools for the project.

RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV)

Name of the organisation: RWTH Aachen University (Institute of plastic processing (IKV) Country: Germany Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: RWTH will implement the novel 3D Generative Preforming process (3D Fibre Spraying) that enables to create high-value long fibre-reinforced 3D preforms for thermoplastic and thermoset composites at low process costs (different kinds of yarn as a raw material, low tooling costs due to low cavity pressures). This cost effective technology allows to align the sprayed fibres in order to produce high-performance, engineered anisotropic products.

Universita' di Cagliari

Name of the organisation: Universita' di Cagliari Country: Italy Entity profile:
Role within the commitment: University of Cagliari is one of the leading European organization in the resin design and coupling with thermoplastic and thermose materials. University of Cagliari will support in the definition of the composite materials, both from CFRP/GFRP, ABS and Rare Earth composite material.

Relight

Name of the organisation: Relight Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: RELIGHT will work with ITRB to provide the research partners with residues for the recycled ABS supply and the REE recovery processes, including their HydroWEEE process as part of the processes to be studied and analyzed.

Piaggio Aerospace

Name of the organisation: Piaggio Aerospace Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - large company
Role within the commitment: Piaggio Aerospace is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Piaggio will assist in the compounds selection, provide Fraunhofer with specific corrosion requirements on business jet size aircraft, and will assess that the developed materials performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.

Blackshape Aircrafts

Name of the organisation: Blackshape Aircrafts Country: Italy Entity profile: Private sector - SME
Role within the commitment: Blackshape Aircrafts is one of the project End Users (Aeronautics Industry): as such it will provide requirements and further applications that could be developed with the Consortium Materials. Blackshape will support to fulfill the requirements of the aeronautics industry on ultra light jet, light jet and trainer for Syllabus, and will assess that the developed alloys performance fits the selected applications desired improvements.

KU Leuven

Name of the organisation: KU Leuven Country: Belgium Entity profile: Academia
Role within the commitment: KUL will collaborate on the balance problem studies and will lead the rare earth recovery research with the solvometallurgical and ionometallurgical processes.
KUL will also contribute to the final compounding selection.
KUL is the Dissemination Manager of the project, promoting that all partners are active on the project Dissemination.

FIDAMC

Name of the organisation: FIDAMC Country: Spain Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: FIDAMC is going to lead the Work Package on Compression Moulding with CFRP-enhanced materials. As part of the AIRBUS Group, FIDAMC will also be able to provide the input material.
FIDAMC successfully developed a 3D Printer of own design to serve the Aerospace Industry and will be supporting Smart Lab 3D Industries in its 3D printer design.

COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER

Name of the organisation: COMPOSITE INNOVATION CENTER Country: Canada Entity profile: Governmental/public body
Role within the commitment: Composite Innovation Center is one of the world leading organization in the field of Composite materials, both from carbon fiber and vegetal-based fibers.
Composite Innovation center has successfully implemented, at lab-scale, recycling processes for CFRP and GFRP.

Existing EU Contribution: No

Period to implement the commitment: from 01-01-2015 to 30-11-2020